Painted Smile
by Nifty Productions
Summary: Sonic's happiness always seemed unusual. He never cried before, he's never EVER upset. Something isn't right. Well if you want to know the secret of Sonic's happiness then read this story. Turns out he was faking it! See how his friends react to all this pain and suffering underneath. Oh and please get the on YouTube! Thank you. Ps: To anyone who says they are Sonic, this is fanfic


**I would just like to say that I can't write stories all the time and sometimes things go wrong thanks to the auto correct, but I'd just like to say that The House of Transformations will be pushed aside, due to the fact that it was mainly a rough draft, though I will continue it and when it is finished I will make it again and delete the original (maybe) to make it better. So keep any suggestions at hold when making that story but the other stories are fine to be reviewed, thank you and enjoy the story.**

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One day, after the war of Sonic Forces, Sonic was out on a run in some unknown location. In the Shadows ( **AN:** heh, shadows) Infinite was preparing in a precise moment to strike the blue hedgehog. His plan was to trap him in an illusion and send him into his worst nightmare. Of course Sonic wasn't running in a seemingly random location for nothing, he was there visiting Shadow so they could battle like rivals. Infinite's illusions came at a price. It had to affect him as well. So as soon as Shadow appeared... Bam! All three saw different things. Strange as it already was, they were seeing a person coming over to fight the one who was in the waking nightmare. Though all three were different. Shadow and Mephilis were battling each other, Infinite was battling Shadow, but surprisingly Sonic was sent to his own mind and soul, having real world internal conflicts. He was fighting his own darkness, all the pain and hatred developed over the years came in a hazy and foggy silhouette of a hedgehog. At first to Sonic it was all whispers he couldn't quite catch, then it spoke to him "I'm quite surprised at you" it said in four different voices. It's eyes changed four times over and over again. From hypnotic red swirls to all whites vanishing and only red dots to dark green eyes to just plain white ovals. It never ended. It spoke once more. "You don't _really_ hate us, you're scared at what _they_ would think." "Yet, you still pretend to be someone, someTHING you're not." Sonic was too terrified to say anything. He wasn't terrified of them...no. Terrified of the truth. The truth that... "You smile _soooooo_ much. Does it still mean anything? You would have died long ago if it weren't for us!" "Now you feel nothing." "How long will you keep up this charade?" Sonic knew they spoke the truth, he knew because _they_ were _him_! He doesn't lie, so why should they? He never cries towards his friends, because he is _the hero of mobius_! Always putting a smile on people's faces, never backs down from a challenge! **I must have looked like a jerk when Cosmo died and I couldn't say anything.** He thought. He should've cried, like Tails, but instead he either was in conflict of having to hide his emotions or not having emotions at the time at all. He can't even remember the last time he felt something. They were right, he was practically not even mobian anymore, more like a robot with a painted smile on their face. "Do you want help or are afraid of me? After all I helped you be able to use chaos control, since you're empty inside. Then again I'm here to fill the space!" Sonic just looked down. He doesn't know how long he can hide his true emotions so it was better now than never, and even though he was afraid of what his darker selves could do, when he walked up to them, the closer he got, the more comforting and warm the aura felt. **If this is what it's like to have emotions again, then please,** he started to cry, **let me have emotions again.** Infinite lost his grip on the phantom Ruby and crashed into a nearby tree, while Shadow did the same in another direction. Sonic was bent over in a kneel. **I'll stop faking my happiness, but only for a day.** He thought to himself. He hoped no one would notice. But when he let go of his emotions, they flooded him like a tidal wave and he started sobbing on the forest floor. Infinite turned around, "Whatever YOU saw must've been pretty bad, but I doubt that an idiot like you wouldn't get over it in a day or two, since you're soooooo happy ALL THE DAMN TIME!" Even Shadow was slightly surprised to see his rival in such a state but quickly got over it. "Come on faker, the bastard here learned his lesson long ago, and if he comes back like this again we'll kick his ass." Sonic stopped crying but tears still urged to break through. Perhaps this wasn't the place to do it. Shadow grabbed Sonic by the scruff and chaos controlled away. Sonic managed to wipe the tears fast enough so his wouldn't know that he cried. A voice echoed in Sonic's head, "Still hiding?". Sonic was slightly ashamed of himself. Tails came up to Sonic, he realized that this was Tail's workshop. "Sonic! You're back!" Tails pretty much ignored Shadow's presence. Sonic was glad to see Tails. "Great to see you too buddy." He didn't have to fake happiness since Tails makes it genuine. That didn't mean Sonic wanted to talk about his feelings though. Far from it. He'd hide his emotions till the very end. Shadow just 'hmph' ed and chaos controlled away. "Sonic, where were you?" Tails asked. "Well I was fighting Infinite in some random forest, but he got away and now he's gone again. I really don't feel like searching for him right now though." Tails was surprised to hear infinite but shrugged it off after he said that he got away. "Well, I'm trying to test a machine that...well...it's a suprise. Could you help me test it?" Sonic agreed to help. So they went into the workshop. "Ok, so I found spare parts of Eggman's robots and I was wondering if I could use them to our advantage but I just can't seem to take the program that wants to kill you out." Sonic just stared at the broken robot parts. He would've said that it probably wasn't a good idea to mess with it but he didn't want to discourage Tails so he said that Tails should go for it, but it was probably a better idea that he didn't help, he probably wouldn't be much use anyway. Tails agreed and so Sonic just ran and left. Amy was somehow outside and ran up to Sonic. "SONIC!" She jumped up and hugged him. He couldn't breathe. "A-Amy y-you're choking me." She let him go. "Oops sorry " he would've said that it was fine but in the distance, Eggman was destroying the place again. Sonic sped off to fight him. Later, there was a stand still beat up robot in the middle if a town and Sonic was facing it. Eggman was in the robot and he was pretty mad. "That is IT hedgehog!" He pressed a button and a glass container flew over Sonic. Sonic couldn't break out. The machine was in good enough condition to carry the container to Eggman's base. Soon it was nightfall and Sonic was forced in a fight with metal sonic and three other powerful robots. Eggman wanted to run some tests on Sonic so he thought if he was weakened in a fight he would be an easier subject. Sonic refused to let Eggman see how this was affecting him. All the dark spirits in his soul screamed at the forcefulness of the invisible smile mask Sonic wore. Eventually, Sonic's body gave in and he collapsed, he collapsed on the inside as well. "So, are you ready to proceed with the tests?" Asked metal sonic. Then, in a menacing voice spoke, Sonic was barely controlling himself. " **This is your one and final warning, stay back or be destroyed!** " Metal sonic pulled out a mini gun from the inside if his metal hand and tried to shoot Sonic, but it didn't do any good. The three robots and metal sonic were destroyed. Unfortunately, Eggman shot a lazer that held Sonic in his tracks, it shocked to the point of near unconsciousness. Eggman grew cocky and walked up to Sonic with a button in his hand. "Well, well...never thought that something like this would happen again." Sonic lost some of his energy and he stared at Eggman with cold green eyes that would make anyone freeze in place. Sonic smashed the button and the lazer stopped. The lazer didn't help Eggman in anyway since it was made from negative energy so it could balance out and nullify super Sonic's power. But this, this was made from said energy, which made sonic mentally insane. "The voices in Sonic's head were talking to him, loud and clear. "Give in to us." They chanted this over and over again. Sonic held his head and knelt to the ground, trying to hold on to as much sanity as possible. Eggman knew that this was dangerous with his kind of power, so he evacuated as fast as he could. Sonic's broken, battered body radiated a signal wave of chaos energy. From a distance, this energy was picked up by another person. ( **AN:** and he is super popular with the ladies, just kidding, he is a bit of a edgy douche to people) It was Shadow the hedgehog. He felt a weak wave of negative chaos energy from far away. He wanted to ignore it, but there was a strange and familiar urge to go and find it. Eventually he saw Sonic, no, what was left of Sonic. He didn't now what happened but if he did, he'd know that this would not be the same rival he had know for, what? One, two years? Time in mobius was slow compared to Earth, so a lot can happen in one day, especially if you're a hero. He, once again, got him back to Tails workshop. In this condition and with Amy here, you could only imagine what would happen. ( **AN** : in Shadow's rocket shoes I would be all like, -_-' Amy, really?") Amy and Tails were shocked to see what poor condition Sonic was in. "Shadow what happened DidyoufightSonicanddothistohim! What is wrong with you!?" Amy said as she was totally freaked out, thinking Shadow would even go this far. "Relax, I didn't do this to him, the Doctor did." Amy put on a worried expression. Sonic was pretty much put on a couch after having to be cradled around. Tails hooked him up to a machine, his heart rate was pumping at a rate and his brain waves were moving that seemed to say that Sonic was either fighting something internal in his mind or having one hell of a dream. In Sonic's mind he was slowly waking up. He realized he was chained to something black and invisible. Chained by the arms and legs. He struggled his best but it was futile. "You didn't keep your promise. So we will have to do it for you." The creature of darkness said. Then a white swirling mist that surrounded Sonic, gathered in the creature's hand and absorbed the light. Sonic couldn't feel anything. Not even the will to struggle. All but one chain on his left leg detached itself from Sonic's body. "We shall take our gift to you back, for now, until you earn it once more." Sonic had tears flowing out of his eyes. The last thing that remained of his missing emotions. Then on Tails machine, the waves slowed into a steady and natural pace, assuming the nightmare was over. Sonic opened up his eyes (barely) to see all but Shadow, look at him worryingly. Sonic tried to fake a smile but to the others, this was very unfitting for this kind of situation. Then something crossed through Tails mind that had never before. Was Sonic faking all those smiles. He found it unlikely and thought that this was probably a once in a while thing but still, he had to ask. "Sonic, a-are you faking your smile?" Sonic's face was in utter shock. Tails felt like the world was spinning and everything he had known had been a lie his whole life. He couldn't hold back his words. "How, how could you fake all those times, for so long, I thought we were brothers but you HATE don't you!" Tails said as tears dripped down the sides of his face. "THAT'S NOT MY REASON AT ALL!" Sonic yelled before Tails made any hasty judgements. "Then what is?" he asked in hics due to all the chocked tears welling in his throat. "I. I" Sonic's voice wavered. "I can't feel anything. For two years after trying to play hero, I tried to hide my emotions so they wouldn't get in the way when the pressure was on, and now. I don't feel anything." Sonic looked at the ground. Even Shadow could tell that this was unusual for how they thought Sonic's normal behavior was. In fact, it turned out that this 'normal' behavior wasn't normal at all. "I always wondered why you always looked so damn happy for no reason." Spoke Shadow. Amy seemed to take this the hardest. "So, does that mean you can't feel love?" She asked innocently. "You could give me all the love in the world but unless I find some way, I won't be able to return it." Said the Blue hedgehog. He couldn't even face her direction. He didn't want to see what her reaction would be. But instead of sadness, there was sympathy. She just hugged him, but not the squeezing kind of hug. A nice and comforting hug. Sonic was faintly surprised at first, then he wrapped his arms around her, trying not to make her worry. Amy eventually let go. Sonic got up from the couch and sped off outside. He felt like he was being watched. Not by Amy, Tails or Shadow. No, he felt watched by the voices that once whispered in his ears. Tails decided to call a hospital for Sonic's numbness. Every doctor was told to look for Sonic. Sonic, out on the run felt the feeling of being controlled once more by the voices, who wanted so desperately for him to tell his friends things. They were clearly not satisfied with the empty feelings of the now. They wanted him to confess his past emotions, of sadness, anger, hate, joy, and even love that was thrown away years ago. Eventually a doctor managed to find Sonic. Sonic turned around and smiled menacingly, unable to control his actions. The doctor shot tranquilizers at his feet until he became unconscious. A growl escaped his throat before he moaned. Eventually he woke up on a hospital bed next to a doctor. "Hello there Sonic, nice to meet you." He said warmly. The tranquilizers still were affecting Sonic, but not as strongly anymore. "Who are you?" The doctor smiled. "You're therapist." Sonic was wiiiiiiiiide awake now. "My WHAT!?" The voices in Sonic's head started to ask a similar question. "His WHAT!?" They screamed saying that a random stranger couldn't get through to him if his friends can't. Of course Sonic would never say that and the doctor can't hear the voices. So he just went on. "You're friends are quite worried about you." He emphasized 'quite'. Sonic just wanted to see them in person, not talk about them. Of course the suggestion came up. "Would you like to talk to them? No I'm not allowed to do that." Sonic would have said yes but the doctor gave a quick let down. Sonic just waited for the tranquilizer effect to wear off so he could spin dash the hell out of here. **The people here are crazy and they think I'M insane!?** Eventually he could feel his legs again, and just as the strange man was about to talk about depression or something, he sped off. As soon as he left the room, an alarm went off and everyone in the building was chasing him. Of course they couldn't catch up, and he dodged everyone of them. Then he came to a dead end. He was in a room with a giant heater thing. Then he heard many voices behind him. The doctors were yelling around, but the voices he heard the clearest were the ones in his head. They told him to spin dash the giant contraption behind him. Eventually the doctors came barging in, blocking the only exit he had. He didn't have much choice anymore. He spin dashed the thing and an aching whistling noise came erupting from it along with steam, that had the whole facility blow up. Out of the ashes came Sonic with scratches and bruises. He found some bandages and put some to stop the bleeding. One on his right arm and the other on his left leg. The smoke was so bad it hurt to talk. He wanted to ask if anyone was still there, regretting his past decision. Of course, no sound came out except for rough coughing and wheezing sounds. The lack of pure oxygen made his vision go hazy until he fell unconscious. The voices did not cease. They told him to find his friends, or they would do things that he wouldn't want to happen. The voices were slightly muffled so he couldn't tell what kinds of threats they were planning to do. But knowing them for years now, he knew they never made _empty_ threats. Whatever they said...they **MEANT** it. Sonic shivered in his sleep. Later, Amy was going to visit, and see how Sonic was doing after hearing how they managed to catch him. She knew he wouldn't like it, but it _was_ for the best, right? She didn't know. When she saw the smoke and ashes and Sonic's shivering and bruised body, she was shocked. She tried to get him out of there and back to Tails' lab. She told him to make something, thinking Sonic must've been hungry by know and it would probably take his mind of the pain when he woke up. Tails decided help from strangers was a bad idea and everything should be done by him. He did have the equipment anyway. He used the scrap metal from earlier and built it into a machine that could read emotions. This was useful, since for some reason, Eggman can build machines with thoughts and feelings. Sonic wasn't lying, well duh, because little to nothing was picked on the machine when connected to Sonic. Except there was something. At first Tails overlooked it, but then he noticed it. It was a small trace of fear. But what could a hero like Sonic be afraid of? Thoughts keep racing through Tails' mind as he tried to uncover the answer. Then it hit him. Being a hero meant everone and everything depended on you, it meant that if you failed, it was YOUR fault, even if it really wasn't, being a hero meant setting an example. Tails never noticed how much pressure this could have, thinking him and Sonic were the same in this role, but he was his sidekick. NOT the person everyone looked up to when something or someone was in danger. Tails felt ashamed, thinking that he might have helped cause this problem as well. He didn't know how he was going to even MENTION this theory of his to Sonic if it _was_ true. ( **AN** : unlike you Tails, I have the courage to say js of whatever I want, no matter who that is, soooooo good luck with that. No seriously, good luck. You're gonna need it.) But right now, he needed to focus on something else. He decided to take out a machine and heal his best friend's wounds. They were gone in a matter of seconds. Sonic slowly started to wake up. At first, everything looked black and hazy, then the images became clearer. If Sonic had tensed up earlier, he looked much calmer now. Tails looked like he wanted to say something. He was biting his lip in a strange fashion and looked to the side, avoiding eye contact with Sonic. Amy however looked him five seconds in the eye and then gave him a bone crushing hug. Sonic, who was choking, weakly tried to pry her off, but it was no use. ( **AN** :I am indeed a Silver fan girl so if anyone says anything then say it in your head, because that meme is dead! Dead I tell you DEAD!) Suddenly Tails machine was going haywire. All the things on the screen were out of control. That's just how Sonic felt. Out of control. He guessed that this was one of their threats that _they_ mentioned. He pleaded silently in his mind to stop. The grip that took away his control loosened, but he still felt like he was powerless against some invisible force. Like he was a dog who couldn't get as far as four inches without being pulled back brutally if he misbehaved. This was torture he thought. Tails' machine calmed down, but fear was at an unusual high right now. Sadness and self loathing were also spiked up a bit. Tails decided that this was now or never. "S-sonic? Is there something you want to talk about." So badly Sonic wanted to never have to answer this question, but if he didn't he risked the safety of those closest to him. Knuckles was on vacation, Shadow had a call from G.U.N with the rest of team dark, Silver was in his timeline. The rest where cleaning up after the war. These two standing in front of him were the only ones who would know the answer, or would know the cause of him going berserk. At least he could trust them. He tried to stall by not answering at first. Tails and Amy looked disappointed, and the grip on his mind grew tighter, as if it were saying 'bad move buddy '. It got harder to think of a good excuse not to answer. Heck it was hard to think at all. He tried to tell them by trying to find somewhere to start. "Remember when we first met, Tails?" Tails nodded. The grip seemed to get harder. It was impossible for it to get any worse right? "I still felt back then, because I didn't have anyone to worry about, but now..." Sonic stopped. As he did he got a major headache. Tails and Amy saw this and tried to help. The machine was out of control again. It started to steam up. The grip on Sonic felt like a familiar character was choking him while hypnotizing him in a way, so he'd have to do as he'd say. The feeling was unbearably painful. The machine exploded. ( **AN** : Two in a row! He didn't even try! Just so you know, I said this in sarcastic excitement.) In Tails' lab a flying figure emerged. An odd version of Super Sonic took their friend's place. ( **AN** : Fleetway Super is my favorite alter ego of Sonic since I believe that he is just very misunderstood. Just so you know, he wasn't the only voice trapped in Sonic's head, it was actually a combination of Exe, Dark, and said form.) "That's what you get for delaying the inevitable!" It screeched. Sonic was trapped in his mind, forced to witness whatever unfolded in front of him. In his mind he could feel emotions, but they were of shame for not telling sooner. It wanted this to end. He wanted to stop himself from doing anything that was about to happen. But most of all, he wanted his friends to know how sorry he was. Fleetway could pick up what Sonic was thinking and used it to his own advantages. "You know, it's quite a shame really that this had to happen." Tails and Amy where shocked in fear and confusion. Fleetway blasted through the ceiling, and went high into the air so he could talk to himself. Or talk to Sonic. Not like it mad a difference, the blue hedgehog would hear anything he said anyway. "If you don't want me to destroy everything you used to know and love, then you had better fight for control! Prove that you still WANT to care you bastard! Unlike your so-called Super form, **I** manipulate **YOU**! Not the other way around." Sonic wept in his mind. G.U.N city attacked Fleetway as he destroyed two thirds of it. Obviously bored with the lack of a challenge, he went for crisis city next. He wanted to create as much attention to himself as possible. **All of my friend's hardwork!** Sonic thought. He saved the world, and now because of him, he was destroying it. **It's all my fault.** Tails and Amy called everone to help and save what was left of Sonic. Sonic was too upset to remember that he was given the choice to stop this madness. Tails, Amy, Knuckles, the chaotix, team dark, and cream (and any canon sonic character that you remember) were there. Amy tried to get her voice to reach Sonic, hoping he wasn't all lost. "Sonic, you have to stop this!" Fleetway heard her and relaxed his control over Sonic just a little, curious as to see what he'd have to say to her. "I-I can't." He said as he struggled for more control. This deeply amused Fleetway, more than the terrorizing of the citizens. Sonic? Giving up? HAH! "Yes you can! Believe in yourself, believe in US! You're not alone, we can help you!" Sonic continued to try and get Fleetway to stop and be able to move his limbs. Unfortunately, this tempted to make Fleetway more willing to blast another civilian at random, to see his reaction. Amy cried out once more, full of tears. "Believe in yourself!" Sonic, who was trapped in his mind managed to spot Fleetway. All outside noises were suffocated. The only thing he could hear was his thoughts, and his thoughts alone. He and Fleetway grabbed each other's fists in a fight. "You're not ready to tell them are you?" He said in maniacal amusement. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be, besides, I _feel_ like they already know." Fleetway's smirk widened. Then he threw Sonic to the side. When Sonic looked up he saw an expression on Fleetway's face that confused him. It seemed almost friendly. _Almost_. "Then prove it." He said as he left and faded in the infinite distance of his mind. Sonic woke up on his bed. A soup bowl was near him. It had a sign next to it, saying. "Thanks for letting us be better friends."

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 **I just wanted to say, that I did a small research when doing this and realized that feeling little to no emotion is indeed possible, and the fact that people can fact happiness is always a constant reality. I'm not saying that anything I wrote is indeed canon, and is actually a theory that I personally have. I get most of my inspiration from songs I like. This one is based of the song Duality and also a MEP for said song by Sonic Wishes who did a control MEP I also had an inspirational take on. This idea to use songs and MEPs and make them into my inspiration was inspired by another fanfic who used a MEP by Sonic Storm. I hope enjoyed this story and got a message from all of this. Message: Never be afraid to talk about your feelings. By: Nifty Productions -.^**


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